August 19, 2019

RSSB volunteers punch someone in the face at Haynes Park

Hypocrisy is rampant in every religion. When love is preached from the pulpit, hate often is in the minds of believers. When humility is set forth as a virtue, egotism frequently is on actual display.

Here's an example from Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB), an Indian religious organization led by a guru that I belonged to for 35 years before I saw the light and deconverted.

What follows is the tale of a frequent commenter on this blog, Osho Robbins. He's a bit of an iconoclast, since he enjoys going to RSSB meetings, including those where the current RSSB guru (Gurinder Singh Dhillon) is speaking, where sometimes Robbins engages the guru in a spirited question and answer session.

But Robbins doesn't subscribe to the traditional RSSB teachings. At any rate, recently he went to the RSSB center in England, Haynes Park, where he was treated in a decidedly un-loving fashion by a bunch of RSSB volunteers, or sevadars.

In fact, he got punched in the face by one of them, as you can read below.

What I find interesting about Robbins' Haynes Park adventure is what it says about Radha Soami Satsang Beas. Where did these volunteers/sevadars get the idea that it was OK to act like jerks? From higher-up in the organization, of course.

The RSSB guru has been accused of making death threats, either directly or through RSSB associates, not once, but twice (see here and here). So I guess punching someone in the face is mild, by comparison. Still, this episode makes me glad I'm no longer involved with RSSB.

Robbins alludes to the fact that devotees of the RSSB guru are absurdly attached to their seva, volunteer work.

Because the guru is considered to be God in human form by the RSSB teachings, service to the guru is viewed as service to God. So members of RSSB take great pride in being allowed to perform volunteer work, often becoming inordinately rigid and dogmatic about their assigned task.

Here's three recent comments from Osho Robbins. I've separated them by dashes. "Baba Ji" refers to the RSSB guru. "Satsang" is a spiritual talk.

BIG news coming up about Haynes Park satsang. I attended Friday and Saturday. In two days I managed to hear exactly zero minutes of Baba Ji's words.

On the Friday it was because certain sevadars took my phone and refused to return it. I specifically said "I wish to leave Haynes Park immediately and would like my property returned to me immediately."

They said I could have it after the satsang. I explained that I am not staying, but am leaving immediately. Still they refused. So I said I would calk the police as this was theft of my phone.

I did in fact call the police exactly as promised. The police explained to them that they have no right to hold onto my phone without my permission.

Anyway, finally got my phone back at 3pm and was told that I am "banned" from Haynes Park and all satsangs. As far as I know, nobody is banned from attending public satsangs. But I guess there is always going to be a first.

Oh I forgot to mention the most important part. I did take the phone into the tent despite the notices. Guilty as charged.

I did also record about 5 minutes of the English speaker who did the satsang before the Q&A. Because he seemed to say some interesting things. Once again, guilty as charged.

Two major crimes that gave the sevadars permission, in their mind, to keep hold of my phone despite my request to have my phone back as I wish to leave Haynes.

One sevadar was forced to tell a lie in order to keep his seva. The sevadars don't care about what is "legal". They have their own rules that are above the law. Why? Because they said so.

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The sevadar who originally “clocked me” was asked what happened.

Now the thing was, I’d spoken to him while I was waiting for my phone and he was an okay guy. In fact he started feeling bad for taking the phone and wished he hadn’t. He was very fearful of losing his seva.

So when asked to say what had happened, I was surprised when he said “I don’t want to say it.... “ I naturally asked “ what exactly don’t you want to say, just say it.”

He then said that I had threatened to “kick him in the nuts”.

Not a phrase I would ever use. Naturally I denied it. The sevadar then said “I would rather believe my sevadar than you”.

Of course it was just too obvious what was going on. I had seen the sevadar have a meeting with this higher up sevadar just a few minutes earlier. So he had obviously told him to tell this lie when asked if he wishes to keep his seva.

So that sevadar said it hesitatingly because he was clearly having a conflict about if he should lie in order to save his seva.

If it was me, I would have simply spoken the truth and handed the sevadar my badge and walked away with a clear conscience. To me, that would be the only course of action possible. But that’s because I would not be desperate to keep my seva.

Someone who is desperate to keep his seva can be bribed. Of course if I was desperate, I too could be bribed.

So the sevadar lied to save his seva, and that was predictable and there was a brief moment when he could break out, that would change his life. Stand for truth instead of lying.

It’s not “wrong” as such. He only did what he was programmed to do. Neither is the higher up sevadar “wrong” as he too was only doing what he was programmed to do.

Liars lie. Thieves steal. It’s the way their life has programmed them. So even in the midst of all this happening against me I am saying it was all inevitable and unavoidable. Each person is acting according to the way they are programmed including me.

So all this was all happening perfectly, despite the fact that at that moment it was not in my favour.

Or was it? It was only against me if I am desperate to step this “calamity” from happening

But it’s seriously not a calamity. I was actually quite happy watching all this unfold. It was entertaining watching how it all happens. Only if I have no agenda. In this case I have no agenda, because I don’t care in the slightest about being “banned” as such.

I can’t be hurt by banning me. The sevadar picked on the wrong guy. I just find the whole thing entertaining. Gives me something to write about.

Of course I am not going to “stay banned”. I am going to test this to see what happens next. I am going to see how far this corruption at the top goes.

Obviously the higher up sevadar has a hold on the lower down sevadar that enables him to force him to lie. So the lower sevadar chose that path because he was desperate to save his seva.

There is no free will here. Nobody can break free unless he stops caring to save his seva. The higher up sevadar is just as bound because he wants me to be banned at any cost. Each is doing whatever they are doing to get the outcome they want.

Drop the outcome and it becomes a game. That’s why I found the whole thing entertaining and laughable. Including “me”. I am also part of the entertainment. If I stop, the entertainment stops.

That too is an option. I can stay banned. I am not desperate to go to satsang. My spiritual future is not in satsang. If it was I would be begging him not to ban me.

And that is what is getting to that sevadar. He wants power over everyone. He has it over the Sevadars because they want their seva. He thinks he got “a result”. But he has no idea what that result is yet. Neither do I.

That’s the only thing that makes it worth playing. Because in reality nobody including me is doing anything here of any real significance. It’s all a divine joke that we all take our personal agenda so seriously.

As I walked away from Haynes Park, I was with my cousin. He had patiently waited two hours after satsang for me. I had made it clear to the sevadars that I had a lift with someone to come to Haynes and he has a child with him. I don’t want to put him out.

They probably thought I was lying. But I wasn’t. I have told the truth from beginning to end. I have no reason to lie. I confessed my “big sin” openly from the start. I lied about nothing.

That’s what gives this whole thing credence. I have no agenda that would make me lie. I won’t lie for any outcome because I am not desperate for any outcome.

Am I bothered about “being banned”? Not in the slightest. Just as I had no care in the world when I was banned as a speaker,

My cousin asked me if I was upset about being banned from satsang. “Upset? Do I look upset?” I am about as upset as when I was banned from being a speaker.

In fact I will be the only person who has been banned from both giving satsang and attending satsang.

This “satsang” thing clearly “has it in for me” or so it seems. I hope you all find it as entertaining as I do. Because it’s about to be upped up a notch. I don’t let sleeping dogs lie.

I like a little entertainment. Hey maybe the baba is doing exactly the same, just a thought.

Stay tuned as the next episode unfolds. This was Friday. Saturday was a whole new day with a whole new adventure. Just like every episode of batman I watched as a child ( the one with Adam playing Batman).

“ Tune in tomorrow to see what happens. Same bat-time same bat-channel”. But don’t take it literally as “tomorrow” and call me a liar when it doesn’t happen tomorrow.

Till next time,. Over and out from “The ONE”.

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The full story is coming soon. It gets much much more interesting. Ends up in premeditated assault. Instigated by the sevadars.

And when I am saying I want to leave Haynes Park, six people grab me physically and take me where nobody can see and physically assault me by punching me in the face.

They think nobody will find out but don’t realise the power of truth. I am known by many of the old satsangis. I don’t tell lies. If I say it - it’s the truth regardless of if it works against me. And people who know me know this

I am not a violent person. Okay I did accept anami’s challenge to combat in jest . That’s about the extent of any violence in me. Whereas the sevadars in question might have a history of violence, who knows.

The matter will go all the way to the top to the guru himself. I have more than enough support to do this from satsangis who know me and my father and family.

Don’t forget, my father was one of the early uk satsangis from 1963.

-------------------------UPDATE: New comments from Osho Robbins. "Hukam" means divine order or command.

RSSB is meant to be a spiritual organisation and is also called Science of the Soul. I for one have always seen it that way right up to this incident.

Last Sunday, before the national satsang, Babaji said to me in the Q&A that everything always happens “in hukam” and I agree.

This too is in hukam. Nothing happens outside of hukam. Not even this. It was hukam that I get punched in the face. Obviously “The ONENESS” wants to stir things up for me. The Oneness is welcome. Let’s see what unfolds.

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There was zero resistance and zero retaliation from me during the entire two day episode. When the punching in the face incident happened I was on the way leaving Haynes Park, and my brother in law saw me leaving.

But the volunteers in question stopped me from leaving and then carried out the premeditated attack.

If anything they will be shocked at my level of nonviolence because apart from asking them to let me go, there was no other resistance from me. Six or seven guys onto one defenceless member of the sangat.

There was no reason for the attack as I was on the way out of Haynes Park. Hardly a sign of great bravery to attack a defenceless person who already wants to leave.

Of course if questioned they may lie but I can prove my position, that I was already leaving. This was a totally unprovoked attack to show me that the sevadars in question had the power to ban me. “Egos on steroids” is all I can say.

If I were Judge Judy, I'd yell at Osho for testing the boundaries, but I'd yell at the sevadars even harder for assault and battery. I couldn't lift the ban, but judgment for the plaintiff, cost of eyeglasses plus pain and suffering. :::gavel:::

"You don't understand what oneness is about. Its not a theory. Its what the japji is referring to. Its the realization that only the ONE exists, all else is momentary, a passing phase. But the ONE remains forever."

Ah, so it's not a theory, and there you've copied the theory as written in a religious scripture. You're really honest and smart. I'm glad that here at this churchless place we're all learning that completely unfounded religious ideas aren't actually that at all. We're all just too stupid to know how non-religious these religious ideas are.

Tomorrow I'll come back for "Jesus is Lord. It's not a theory. You just don't understand." Maybe next week "La IlahaIlallah Mohamed Rasul" will be proven to be a simple fact that's totally not a theory, and definitely not religious. But I'm too stupid to understand that one about Mohamed. I'm not at that advanced level of superconsciousness yet. But I'll get there. Believe that.

This doesn’t seem to be true. I have been with RSSB since my childhood.. I am 30 now.. no sevadar would do this what you said.. they can be harsh and arrogant which is okay since sometimes the seekers don’t follow the rules made by them.. they are humans and get angry if something doesn’t work according to them..

Also you dare to Record the satsang and could manage to take the phone inside.. Dera rules specifically says if you are caught taking the phone inside the premises where sermons are being conducted your phone will be detained for three months..

@osho can you show us a copy of the police report? Some of the things you say dont sound genuine tbh. Only because you wanted to leave and wanted to shake someone's hand after and was patiently waiting for your phone to be returned does not mean you were not violent before all this and that you are not guilty! Also, lying to the police is also a punishable offence dont forget!

Nitesh Matta
It really doesn’t matter whether you think it is true or not.
It happened to me and I am having a hard time believing things went that far.

Already the events of the Friday were extreme and I was kept waiting for four hours before my phone was returned to me.

I have been in RSSB all my life. My father was initiated 1962. There was so much love between satsangis in those days. In fact I met one of my fathers old friends there while I was waiting for my phone. It had been a long time since I saw him, so I approached him.

“Do you recognise me?” I asked

(Not “do you know who I am?”)

He looked at me and said

“Can anyone ever forget their own son?”

WOW. I was in tears.

He used to do the tape seva in the 1970’s
In charge of recording satsangs.

How ironic that now I was waiting for the return of my phone for recording and back then recording was a Seva.

You must live in a different world.

In the UK that would be illegal
Perhaps you are in India and perhaps the law allows that, but I would be surprised if it does.

If a rule is illegal, it needs changing because nobody is above the law.

If your phone is kept by RSSB for three months it would seriously disrupt your life and I can’t imagine they would really do that. if they did, it would be unreasonable and I cannot imagine anyone going back to such a satsang.

Osho should Just state the happenings and seek his view on what and how should a Sevadar and Osho he should have acted? Were the acts and behaviour of Sevadars appropriate? Were his acts and behaviour appropriate? Did the Sevadars follow the rules or went beyond? Is it possible to have a copy of the rules published by Dera - so that even the Sangat is aware of the consequences blah blah.

Arjuna - That wouldn't be too smart, my friend. Sevadars are protected by a force field of grace and energy. Your fist would become instantly enfeebled by love on impact, and you would never be able to make a fist again in anger. Your wrists would stay limp with devotion like Osho's.

Oaho is not lying, people are talking about what happened at Haynes, I know the person who punched him, he's quite well known. I didn't believe Osho at first, I never thought anything like this could actually happen.

May be I am wrong, but to me the whole idea behind spirituality and santmat is to broaden our perspective (the 30,000 feet view if you will) and become totally aware of the world/universe surrounding us. We had left the rigid rituals of our previous religions for the sake of spiritual ascent. It seems RSSB policies are becoming just as rigid.

As seekers of the ultimate truth, we have to live the path! WE should not force others to follow our shallow rules which are man made. Same God resides in Osho and the sevadar. If a sevadar punches Osho in the face, he is punching his God in the face. The entire management team pats him on the back for teaching Osho a lesson, and making him an example for the sangat. Yet everyone expects to reach sach khand.

Brothers and sisters we have to remember that our deeds (karni) bring us closer to the divine and make us holier.

During initiation we are given a yardstick by which to live: "will our actions bring us closer to God or take us away from God?" We should step away from an assignments that involve hurting another person.
GM: hurting the feelings of someone else is the worst of all sins. Even God doesn't forgive us for it.

I wish all satsangis (sangat and sevadars alike) would ask themselves this question, and live according to the universal laws of humanity (love, compassion, kindness, truthfulness, forgiveness, tolerance, industry, etc. ) Even BBji tells everyone to become better human beings first. These principles are to become the foundation of spirituality.

Ultimately only we are responsible for our souls. On day of judgement, our adherence to our religious beliefs/policies or the excuse of "We were just doing what we are told to do by someone higher up" won't help us. Only our spiritual attainment will help our souls.

1) write to Dera ,- let me know if you need help with the names of the Secretary, Head of Security and the individual responsible for overseas centres.
2) post a copy of both the letter written and Dera's response in here.